Jeev Milkha Singh on song in 2006

Jeev Milkha Singh, who won four major titles in 2006, will become the first Indian to take part in the Augusta Masters in April next year.The 35-year-old golfer from Chandigarh will, in fact, feature in three majors on the US PGA Tour.Not only is he the first Indian to be part of the top 50 golfers in the world but also the first Indian to win four international titles in one season. Apart from that he has finished in the top ten 18 times that includes the European, Asian and Japanese tours. His fantastic run has seen him jump 329 places to a world ranking of 47 from 376. He has also won over 13 crore rupees in 2006 alone, most of which came when he won the Volvo masters in Spain."The Volvo Masters is probably outside the next biggest thing after the majors. He has beaten the best players in the world at the highest level. When Rathore won the silver, it was a big achievement for India. I think this is as big, if not bigger than that," said golfer and Jeev's friend Shiva Kapur."If you compare it to cricket, which is like religion in India, it is like almost winning the World Cup or finishing second in the world cup," he added.But all that didn't come on a platter for Jeev. The Chandigarh golfer, in fact, had a very lean period failing to win a title for seven years. He broke that jinx in April this year at the Volvo China Open. That title seemed to turn things around for him as he went on to beat players like Sergio Garcia and Padrig Harrington. "It is just that he is now comfortable with the pressure and dealing with stuff like that and that is right there for everybody to follow," said Amritinder Singh, Jeev's Friend and Coach.Jeev has been a pioneer for Indian golf. He was the first Indian to play on the European and Japanese tours. Apart from that, this season has also seen him finish 16th in Europe, third in Japan and first in Asia.

Source : NDTV